This invention relates to a highly acidic metalated organic acid and its preparation.
Organic acids and alcohols have been used throughout recorded history as ingredients to decontaminate and preserve food and other biological materials. The pickling process using acetic acid is the food preservation method most familiar to the public. Large numbers of other organic acids have also been used in food processing. The addition of an organic acid to foodstuffs is called acidulation. Acidulated foods are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR) as any consumable food product with a pH of less than 4.6 and produced to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) for food and food additives. These products have cost and taste advantages over heat-treated foods. Acidulated foods give a better taste of “freshness” than those that have been heat treated.
Another common method of food preservation and preparation utilizes heat followed by drying, packaging or canning to prevent contamination. Heat-treated foods retain qualities of freshly prepared food but, nevertheless, give the canned food taste. As energy cost continues to rise, the percentage of production cost due to energy may make some food preparation and/or production costs prohibitive. Additionally, new packaging and other regulatory costs will certainly drive up the cost of food.
Newer methods of food preservation include the addition of non-pathogenic bacteria to prevent spoilage and irradiation with ionizing radiation for preservation. Each of these methods has cost, quality and food safety issues associated with implementation. Acidulation of food with mineral and/or organic acids remains the least costly and most effective method of food preservation.
In the late 80's and early 90's, researchers in Japan developed strong ionized water (“SIW”) as disinfectants. The SIW was established as water with pH 2.7 or less, having an oxidation-reduction potential of 1,000 mv or more, and chlorine concentration of 0.8 ppm or more. The SIW is prepared by electrolysis of water.
Electrolysis of tap water has also been used to produce “strong acid water” and “strong alkali water” both of which were claimed to have antiseptic properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,838 to Wurzburger, et al. describes a solution for cleaning metal surfaces. The solution is prepared by mixing calcium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide with equivalent sulfuric acid in water then passing the solution through a 10 micron filter. The resulting concentrate can be diluted depending on the degree of surface oxidation of the metal to be treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,782 to Overton, et al. describes a solution for cleaning metal surfaces particularly non-ferrous alloys such as copper, brass and high strength aluminum alloys. The solution is prepared by mixing Ca(OH)2 and KOH with equivalent sulfuric acid in water then passing the solution through a 10 micron filter. The resulting concentrate can be used full strength or diluted depending on the degree of surface oxidation of the metal to be treated.
International Publication WO 94/09798 describes a pharmaceutical composition for treatment of disease, injury and other disorders. The pharmaceutical composition comprises a complex of a calcium-containing component and a sulfate-containing component in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The reference teaches the isolation from natural materials, such as peat, the inorganic compositions. The inorganic preparations comprise an alkaline, aqueous or organic, or mixture thereof, extract of peat. Peat is extracted with aqueous solutions, organic solutions or water-miscible organic solvents at temperature from below room temperature up to the boiling point of the solvents. The preferred extracting solvents are those having a pH of at least 9. Biologically active constituents of fractionated peat preparations were identified as CaSO4.2H2O (gypsum), CaSO4.K2SO4.H2O (syngenite, also referred to as the double salt of gypsum) and K3Na(SO4)2 (apthitalite) by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. The reference also describes the synthesis of syngenite.
Chemists describe and measure the ability of a substance to donate protons [H+] to a chemical reaction as the pKa of that substance whereHA+H2O→H3O++A−
Although a hydronium ion is usually represented by H3O+, its true formula is not certain, and best represented as H+.(H2O)n. The aggregate could be H5O2+, H7O3+, H9O4+, or even larger.
Hydrated hydronium ion has the ability to donate protons [H+]. The donation of a proton is usually an intermediate step in any acid hydrolysis reaction. Acids are usually the chemical reagents used to donate protons in an aqueous solution.
A strong acid is used to neutralize and remove the lime, or quicklime, from bricks and mortar. A strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is also used to clean hard water spots on shower stalls, windows, glass, toilets, urinals, mirrors and other surfaces. Hydrochloric acid is used to de-scale water towers and heat exchangers and to adjust the pH of waste water effluent. A full strength mineral acid, such as hydrochloric acid, is extremely corrosive to many substances, including metals. In addition, hydrochloric acid at a low pH of 0.5 or so can burn a sensitive human skin in a very short period of time. The acid is also very harmful in that it emits fumes irritating to the mucous membrane. If left near other chemicals, like bleach, hydrochloric acid will interact with them, even through a typical plastic bottle.
It is thus desirable to be able to have a source of “acidity,” or H3O+, without these unwanted disadvantages and be able to reduce environmental and safety hazards associated with acid hydrolysis. Preferably, this source of “acidity” should be able to prevent re-contamination following decontamination, not induce bacterial resistance, not alter the taste, color or smell of treated foodstuffs, not create any odor, effective in water in a wide range of temperatures, relatively free of danger when overdosed, can be neutralized after use, not carcinogenic or mutagenic, non-toxic, almost harmless in water and the environment, environmentally friendly, and can be stored for a long period of time without decomposition or turning into hazardous compound.
The control of microbial growth is necessary in many practical situations, and significant advances in agriculture, medicine and food science have been made through study of this area of microbiology. “Control of growth” means to prevent growth of microorganisms. This control is effected in one of two basic ways: (1) By killing microorganisms; or (2) by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. Control of growth usually involves the use of physical or chemical agents which either kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms. Agents which kill cells are called “cidal” agents; agents which inhibit the growth of cells, but without killing them, are referred to as “static” agents. Thus the term “bactericidal” refers to killing bacteria and “bacteriostatic” refers to inhibiting the growth of bacterial cells. A “bactericide” kills bacteria, a “fungicide” kills fungi. “Sterilization” is the complete destruction or elimination of all viable organisms in or on an object being sterilized. The object is either sterile or not, there are no degrees of sterilization. Sterilization procedures involve the use of heat, radiation or chemicals, or physical removal of microorganisms.
Microorganisms tend to colonize and replicate on different surfaces resulting in adherent heterogenous microbial accumulations termed “biofilms.” Biofilms may form on surfaces of food substances, feed substances, processing equipment and instrumentations. The microorganisms in the biofilms may include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoans. Since food safety is a national priority, any product that can help by solving a multitude of problems associated with food production is desirable. Removal and control of biofilms which harbor dangerous microbial contamination is a sanitation goal that needs to be achieved. It is also desirable to be able to safely decontaminate water and nutriment by lowering pH to levels where contaminants would react and organisms cannot live.
Current sanitizing, disinfectant and pesticide products on the market for these uses contain residues of chlorine, ammonia, organic iodine, metal salts and other deleterious residues. It is desirable to have a way that would preclude these residues by promoting acid hydrolysis without the presence of deleterious chemicals. Additionally, this method should generate few hazardous volatile gases. Importantly, it is highly desirable to have a composition that can control the growth of, and kill, microorganisms and, at the same time, destroy the products, generated by, or associated with, the microorganisms.